Crews contain 184-acre Unicoi Fire

Rainfall forecast for Thursday was expected to aid fire crews working to contain a wildfire that began at Tray Mountain off Ga. 356 and spread to 184 acres.

The Unicoi Fire started Saturday, Feb. 12, from a private burn that spread through the Chattahoochee National Forest, according to James Wettstaed, public information officer for the U.S. Forestry Service.

The USFS said the blaze in the Chattahoochee National Forest was 100% contained as of Tuesday, Feb. 15. At its peak, as many as 50 personnel were working on the fire, Wettstaed said.

No structures were involved, but as many as 15 were potentially threated had the fire spread further.

On Sunday, USFS and the Georgia Forestry Commission and U.S. Forestry Service began a burnout proceeding west from Mountain Madness Drive as part of the effort to contain the Unicoi Fire. White County Fire Services remained on alert to protect structures if necessary. Crews continued working to improve and hold containment lines.

White County Public Safety had advised the community of high fire danger on Friday, Feb. 11. Crews contended with the fire amid dry conditions and wind gusts and a burn ban was issued.

A Wednesday morning update from the USFS said crews spent Tuesday focused on mopping up and patrolling to find any remaining heat sources. Light staffing levels will be in place until the area is deemed secure.

Smith Creek Trail will remain closed until conditions are safe for hikers, USFS said. There are no road closures or evacuation warnings in place. Anna Ruby Falls Recreation Area is open during regular hours.

Updates regarding the status of temporary closures and other alerts at https://www.fs.usda.gov/alerts/conf/alerts-notices.

Information from the Georgia Foresty Commission on burning is available at https://gatrees.org/burn-permits-and-notifications. Additional fire tips can be found on page 2A.